Autumn and Spring Rains

This morning I felt led to read for James 5, yesterday from Deuteronomy 11, one would think that these chapters have very little in common, however they both had the exact same phrase, and that caught my attention!  Here are the different sets of verses - Deuteronomy 11:8-15 NIV:

[8] "Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, [9] and so that you may live long in the land the Lord swore to your ancestors to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. [10] The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. [11] But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. [12] It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end."

[13] "So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today---to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul--- [14] then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. [15] I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied."

AND - James 5:7-8 NIV:

[7] "Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. [8] You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near."

The phrase that repeats in both is obvious, the autumn and spring rains.  This has to do with the blessing and provision of the Lord, and some would add the outpouring of Holy Spirit.  There was a great awakening called the Latter Rain Revival that occurred between 1875 and 1925 here in the United States, amongst the Protestant Church, and it focused on a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  This revival was birthed out of the third time this phrase is used in scripture as a reference to God pouring out blessing and pouring out His Spirit, and it is found in Joel 2:21-29 NIV:

[21] "Do not be afraid, land of Judah; be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things! 

[22] Do not be afraid, you wild animals, for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green. 

The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches. 

[23] Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. 

He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. 

[24] The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. 

[25] “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten---

the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm---

my great army that I sent among you. 

[26] You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; 

never again will my people be shamed. 

[27] Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed. 

[28] “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. 

Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 

[29] Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days."

As I am reflecting this morning a few things are apparent to me as I allow these verses to settle into my heart.  First, while they have to do with the Blessings of the Lord, and His provision, another common theme is patience.  We want to rush from one season of blessing and provision to another, but there is a summer dry period in between the spring and autumn rains.  Dry periods are not much fun, but they are seasons of growth and maturing, and God knows we need that in our lives.

Secondly, there is a partnering component to this for the abundance that is produced by the rains and seasons between must be gathered to be enjoyed.  James speaks of the farmer waiting patiently, in Joel there is a threshing floor full of grain and vats full of new wine and oil, in Deuteronomy he speaks of gathering the same.  We are invited to participate in this in-gathering.

Thirdly, the order in which these are referred is autumn and spring rains, which means there is a winter in between.  Winter is a time where the ground lies fallow, where one lives on the produce that was gathered, a time of preparation for the new seasons.  Again, we like to run from one season of blessing to another but in the natural order of things, there are seasons of rest, of preparation, of unfruitfulness.  

Fourth, I am particularly encouraged by verses 25-27, in Joel 2, for they speak of a repaying for the years of loss.  Being somewhat removed from an agrarian culture, we read about swarms of locusts, or grasshoppers here in Kansas City, and we think of that as bad, but we may not register what that means in practical terms.  The locusts ate all the crops, thus there would be no harvest, no new grain for the coming winter, no new grain for the planting in the spring.  If stores of grain were not present, then the next year would be a season of hunger, if not starvation.  We are going through a season where millions of people are laid off, unable to find work, and while they might be ok for a while, the longer that season goes on the greater the problems will be.  We really need to see the Lord move to restore what was lost!  

Spiritually, we have also seen much that has been lost over these last years, due to abuses, sin and the spirit of religion in the church.  There are generations of people, even nations that are unaware of the blessing and power of the Lord!  We have churches that function without paying much if any attention to the Holy Spirit, and we think that is just status quo.  In reality, these are all hungry, if not starving for the blessing of the Lord.  Oh Lord, it is time for a release of the Holy Spirit over all Your church!  Pour forth Your Holy Spirit upon all Your people!  Fill us one again!

Lastly, I am encouraged that it is in the Lord's heart to bless us.  He is a God of abundance, and He wants us to experience His blessing.  This is not some prosperity Gospel misappropriation of the Word, but rather a reflection on the nature of God!  HE reveals Himself this way, and we would be wrong to think of Him otherwise.  IF we have need He welcomes us to pray to Him!  If we have need of Holy Spirit, we are encouraged by Jesus to simply ask - Luke 11:11-13 NIV:

[11] “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? [12] Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? [13] If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Amen!  Lord, we need Your blessing, we need You!  Please send us the autumn and spring rains!  Repay the years of the Locusts!  Pour forth Your Holy Spirit once again, on all Your church! 

Amen and amen!